Being an Ender

Welcome to the newest term at End of Three Fitness: Ender

If you Google Ender, you will most likely find a vast amount of information on the character Ender Wiggin, from Ender’s Game (good book), or maybe some terms coined by online gamers (which apparently can be a really good thing or a really bad thing). But other than a science fiction novel and some dudes in their mother’s basement with a headset, Ender is not getting a lot of use – this term hasn’t reached its full potential.

That’s where End of Three Fitness comes in. END of three fitness…see the connection

Defining Ender:

One who, or that which, makes an end of something.

There is a difference between being an Ender and a Finisher, the same way there is a difference between being a game-changer and being a game-player.

To finish something, while always admirable, can insinuate that you ‘just’ finished. Like the person who brags that they finished a marathon…but it took them 10 hours. To finish can simply mean you may have gone kicking and screaming and sluggishly brought yourself to the end, or finish.

To end something, or to be an ender, is more deliberate. When I hear the term ender it makes me think of a leader, or decision-maker. Someone who decided they would start something and they would end it, because they have that capability.

Take these two sentences for example:

“I finished that.”

“I ended that.”

Which one sounds more powerful to you?? Which one sounds like you got the gold star of completion and which one sounds like you owned the situation and made a decision.

6 Ways to be an Ender in Life

1. Be Confident – If you don’t believe in yourself…who will!? Be confident in your skills and abilities. Don’t be over-confident to the point of arrogance and ignorance, but always be confident in yourself and what you can achieve.

2. Be Focused – Know what you want and how to get it done. Write it down as a goal or mission statement, it is easy to get lost in this world if you don’t maintain focus. Know your course.

3. Be Passionate – You have to be extremely passionate about what you are doing and you need to let it show. Never let someone else cover the light of your passion, and never cover the light of your own passion to please others.

4. Be Fearless – If you are afraid to take risks or make mistakes…you aren’t living! If you make a mistake, let it come from the risks you have decided to pursue.

5. Be Self-Aware – Knowing who you are and your strengths will go a long way. No one ever said you have to be good at everything, but knowing you aren’t good at something, and surrounding yourself with those who are, will go a long way.

6. Be Mentally Tough – Be willing to stretch your brain to a level of discomfort each and every single day. Brains need to work just like our bodies, push your brain to be better tomorrow than it is today.

6 Ways to be an Ender in Fitness

1. Be Confident – Don’t let someone else who is bigger, stronger or faster than you make you feel inadequate! Be confident in what YOU have, don’t lose confidence because of what other people have.

2. Be Focused – Throughout the duration of every workout be focused. Don’t focus on the pain, the burn or the sound of your heart beat. Focus on the task at hand. Focus on the next rep; the next step. Focus on ending what you have started – not just finishing.

3. Be Passionate – You most likely have a preference when it comes to fitness (CrossFit, Lifting, Running, etc..). Embrace your preference and be passionate about it! Let others know what you do and how excited you are about it.

4. Be Fearless – Do not be afraid to try to new things. Just because you haven’t done something doesn’t mean you can’t do something. Scare yourself…regularly.

5. Be Self-Aware – Be fearless, and be confident, but don’t be stupid. Know what you can and cannot achieve. Knowing your own skill level, and working from it, will help you master your fitness.

6. Be Mentally Tough – Mental toughness is not a decision, it is created through repetition and practice, thus becoming a habit. Push yourself to go “there” as frequently as you can, and learn simple(ish) ways to build mental toughness.

I would like to say, if you are a part of End of Three Fitness, you are an ender. But I don’t know you all (unless you want to contact me)! Strive to be an Ender!

I see Enders every day at End of Three Fit (the new WOD portion of Eo3). It’s amazing to get to interact with all the people at End of Three Fit on a daily basis. These people are Enders; they are confident, focused, passionate, fearless, self-aware and mentally tough. Doing workouts like the ‘Eo3 5K’ without a complaint in sight and kicking the first six-weeks challenge‘s butt!